Funeral plans are still pending for an Iowa National Guardsman who died in last weekend’s helicopter crash in Iraq. Major Stewart Anderson was 45 years old and leaves a wife and two daughters in Dubuque. Claremont Anderson of Hoffman, Minnesota, says his son loved his work in Iraq, providing logistical support for other troops.
Anderson says his son “was very proud of serving. He was a 20-year Reservist and that was his thing. It was his country, honor and duty.” The Black Hawk helicopter crash on Saturday near Tal Afar, in northern Iraq, killed eight soldiers and four American civilians. The elder Anderson says his son was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. Anderson says “It’s the price we pay for freedom. I don’t like it but it’s the price we pay.” His son had lived in Dubuque with his family for several years, but many relatives still live in west-central Minnesota.
Anderson says his son “loved to talk and he was an avid family man, just a wonderful person to be around.” Anderson’s father says there might be a memorial service later this week in Benson, Minnesota. The cause of the helicopter crash is still under investigation. Another Iowa soldier was killed Saturday in Iraq. A civilian vehicle collided with a Humvee, killing Army Reserve Sergeant Nathan Field, a military policeman from Lehigh.